Key Takeaways
- Newcastle University, University of Westminster, and University of Southampton are ending their Turnitin contracts.
- Concerns include student data privacy and the use of AI in education.
- Turnitin has postponed changes to its End-User License Agreement until September 2027.
Several UK universities are discontinuing their contracts with Turnitin, citing concerns over student data privacy and the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. According to Times Higher Education, Newcastle University and the University of Westminster have joined the University of Southampton in announcing plans to discontinue the plagiarism detection platform.
The University of Southampton announced in August 2026 that it would not renew its contract beyond the 2026-27 academic year, marking the beginning of a phase-out period for the software. Similarly, Newcastle University has confirmed that it will stop using Turnitin after the 2026-27 academic year. The University of Westminster, on the other hand, plans to discontinue the service when its current contract expires in July 2027.
A major concern among universities is the proposed changes to Turnitin’s End-User License Agreement (EULA), which could allow the company to use student-submitted assignments to train future AI services, including its upcoming tool, Turnitin Clarity. Although Turnitin has postponed these licensing changes until at least September 2027 to allow further consultation, university leaders remain wary of student data ownership and the protection of intellectual property.
Turnitin has maintained that it does not currently use student or customer work to train its AI writing assistant. However, the company has acknowledged that anonymized submissions may be used to improve its operational detection and assessment tools. This has raised further questions among university administrators about the extent of data usage and privacy protections.
Other universities are also reviewing their arrangements with Turnitin. The University of Aberdeen is considering its options, while Aberystwyth University has allowed students concerned about the platform to submit assignments through Blackboard. The University of Cambridge has also expressed concerns about proposed licensing changes affecting data privacy and intellectual property rights, although it continues to use the service.
The decision to end contracts with Turnitin reflects a broader trend in higher education, where institutions are increasingly prioritizing student data privacy and the ethical use of AI in academic settings. Universities are seeking to ensure that their practices align with evolving standards and regulations in data protection and intellectual property.
